DentistryiQThe Journal of Oral Microbiology published an interesting study that examined the bacteria present in healthy coronary arteries. The objective of the study was to establish detailed oral microbiome profiles of clinically healthy coronary and femoral artery tissues from patients with atherosclerosis. A total of 230 bacterial species were detected in coronary arteries, and 118 species were detected in femoral arteries.READ MORE

Dentistry World Many anthropologists believe that as humans transitioned from hunting and gathering to farming thousands of years ago, they began suffering from tooth decay and gum disease, prompting some scientists to say that we’d have better oral health with a diet based on wild foods instead of staples like corn and potatoes. Yet today’s Hadza tribe in Tanzania is changing this theory as researchers observe these foragers move to an agricultural diet. READ MORE

Medical News TodayAccording to the American Academy of Implant Dentistry, 15 million Americans have crown or bridge replacements and three million have dental implants - with this latter number rising by 500,000 a year. The AAID estimates that the value of the American and European market for dental implants will rise to $4.2 billion by 2022. Dental implants are a successful form of treatment for patients, yet according to a study published in 2005, five to 10 per cent of all dental implants fail.READ MORE

.

PRODUCT SHOWCASE

There Is Only One Piezosurgery®If you are not using the real Piezosurgery® by Mectron, chances are, you are missing out!
• Only Piezosurgery® is evidence based with patented technology (https://dental.piezosurgery.us/about/clinical-advantages/)
• Now starting at $8,500, with flexible in-house financing options
• Now taking competitor trade-ins
Visit www.piezosurgery.us or call 614-459-4922

American Dental Association The American Dental Association and two other dental groups March 24 urged Congress to revisit student debt when it considers reauthorizing federal student loan programs later this year.
In a letter to House Committee on Education and Workforce Chair Virginia Fox, R-N.C., and Ranking Member Robert C. Scott, D-Va., the ADA, along with the American Student Dental Association and American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, urged the legislators to include several proposals when reauthorizing the Higher Education Act of 1965.READ MORE

Carolina PickensAccording to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, opioid-related drug overdoses have tripled from 1999 to 2014. Additionally, opioids were present in 60.9 percent of overdose deaths in 2014. It is increasingly apparent the United States has an opioid abuse epidemic on its hands, and dentists may be surprised to find themselves in the middle of this rapidly growing problem.READ MORE

DrBicuspid.comA flurry of activity in Washington, D.C. — including efforts to repeal and replace the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and proposed changes to how Medicaid funding is allocated — has the healthcare industry in a state of flux. As dental leaders brace for potentially sweeping changes to the Medicaid program, many are wondering how Medicaid dentistry will fare.READ MORE

DentistryiQAs office manager, you’re responsible for verifying that your office collects from both insurance companies and patients, and is paid for work completed. A good collection ratio for a dental office is 95% to 99%. This means the month-to-month collections might vary depending on many factors, but over a 12-month period the office collects nearly all of what is produced. This is not the case in some practices. Why is that?READ MORE

Dentistry TodayNobody likes sitting in the waiting room. There is good news for patients, though, as the national average waiting time to see a doctor is 18 minutes and 35 seconds, according to Vitals — and that's a decrease of 1 minute and 16 seconds compared to last year. Dentists lead the pack in seeing their patients quickly, as their 8 minute and 27 second average waiting time leads all doctor specialties.READ MORE